Partnerships Prepare Youth to Lead Region to Economic Vitality

American companies expect to create 1.6 million new information technology jobs during 2000-2001. One-third will be for technical support workers to install, maintain and repair new high-tech equipment, according to the Information Technology Association of America.

The New River Valley Planning District Commission (PDC), an Economic Development Administration and Appalachian Regional Commission district in Virginia, is partnering with the New River Valley Community College to recruit information technology companies to the area.

As part of its workforce development strategy, the New River Valley Magnet School for Information Systems Technology is a partnership between New River Community College and eight school districts, preparing high school juniors and seniors for careers in high-technology fields. In 1998, the school began providing technology training to students, through the New River Community College’s Division of Business and Technologies. The college is an affiliate of the CISCO Networking Academy. CISCO, a national computer network service provider, works with educational institutions to teach computer networking skills to high school students. “The Magnet School is an expansion of the CISCO concept,” explains Bill Asbury, program director at New River Community College. “We’re building on that program to create even more opportunities for students in this area.”

The Magnet School offers two levels of certification in Information Technology with courses including Computer Network Hardware Operations, Computer Repair Technology, Computer Aided Design, Electronics/Robotics, and Principles of Lasers and Fiber Optics. High school juniors are eligible to participate in the program if approved by their guidance office. Sophomores in advanced math classes are also eligible. The program appears to be a success: One recent graduate was hired for an information technology position paying $57,000 plus college tuition.

Asbury explains, “We read in the papers that thousands of companies are searching for information technology people. These jobs are in high demand; some of the positions we’re training for in the Magnet Schools are paying over $100,000. The faster we can help these students learn the necessary skills, the faster they can get jobs.”

The Magnet School program is expanding through satellite CISCO SYSTEMS labs. Enrollment for all Magnet School technology classes has increased to about 270 students.

At the same time, the community college and New River Valley PDC are recruiting information technology companies to the valley. EchoStar Communications Corporation, Aspen Motion Technologies and ACT Microdevices have started or will start operations in the valley shortly. New businesses are being created. Some Magnet School students are considering starting businesses as well.

First Regional Industrial Facility In an unprecedented show of regional cooperation, 15 localities from three planning districts in western Virginia have formed Virginia’s First Regional Industrial Facility Authority to improve the region’s economy. Authorized under the 1996 Virginia Regional Industrial Facilities Act, the localities are establishing a regional industrial park to attract a large high-technology industry to the region. The authority is pursuing financing for the development of the 1,000 acre industrial park, capable of supporting sites in the 150 to 200 acre range. Located near an airport, Virginia’s Commerce Park will be marketed to large, high-tech industries and is intended to provide a large industrial site that could not be afforded by any single locality. The authority expects the site to host between 500 and 1,500 jobs and to generate more than $700,000 in machine and tool taxes each year.

Tech Jobs and Workforce Development
Currently, New River Valley graduates are moving to northern Virginia and North Carolina where many information technology jobs are located. The hope is to bring these jobs to the New River Valley by creating a bridge between people who can do these types of jobs and companies all over the world, in a contracting situation.

According to David Rundgren, Executive Director of the New River Valley PDC, “The Technology Magnet School is providing technical training and certification in various computer-related skills. This workforce development program is preparing a new workforce in the valley. Companies and jobs need to be located here in the valley and this technology-related program addresses providing the skills needed to perform the jobs.”

The New River Valley PDC and New River Community College have partnered to create a center where 50 people will contract with companies worldwide. The center will be housed in Pulaski and is currently under construction.

According to Asbury, “This model can be replicated anywhere. Our goal is to train our juniors and seniors in information technology and then put them in jobs in their hometowns working for companies all over the world. The future is contracting for work with many different businesses.”

Interest and support for the Magnet School also increased among business and technology groups. A pool of well-trained workers would help attract high-tech industries to the New River Valley. In January 2001, Virginia’s First Regional Industrial Facility Authority endorsed the Magnet School project (see sidebar).

New River Community College offered four acres on the college grounds as a potential site for a facility to house both the Magnet School and the Southwest Virginia Governor’s School that is currently located at Pulaski County High School. A conceptual drawing for a 40,000 square foot building to house both programs was prepared. Efforts continue to obtain funding for the building from both state and federal sources.

By Melissa Levy, Digest Managing Editor
For more information, contact David Rundgren of New River Valley PDC at (540) 639-9313, email him at dave.nrvpdc@nrvdc.org or visit their website at www.nrvpdc.org; call Bill Asbury of New River Community College at (540) 674-3600.

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